Decoy
by Razer Athane
Summary: Sweet smiles, light laughs and honest happiness. I couldn't help but smile too. And all the while... I was your little decoy. -Xiaorang, Oneshot-


Disclaimer: I thought we had already established that I don't own Tekken.

Author's Note: Yup. Another Xiaorang. Why? I dunno. I _reallyreallyreallyreallyreally_ like this pairing for some reason. Its not my OTP but out of all the Tekken pairings, I _unquestioningly _enjoy reading these two _the most_. I really think that its Madame Batolli's fault XD And for you noobs who don't know who she is, I give you cancer! ...Well not really but I do point you to her direction rapidly. But don't judge the pairing or whatever, judge the writing :P And yes I know I should be working on **With Me **and **No Tomorrow** but I had to expel this idea.

* * *

It was just supposed to be a little fun, nothing too major or drastic.

There's this girl, y'know. Her name is Ling Xiaoyu. Sixteen. Loves pink, pandas, cute things and bubblegum. Goes to Mishima High, and does... alright, kinda, in her classes, aside from anything artistic - she really shines there. Nicknames include: Pigtails, Fairy, Midget, and so on. Anyone can tell you that, go ask 'em. They'd probably join in on the name calling too. But beneath her childish, happy-go-lucky-charm, and below or the fluro colours, there's a lot of pain. It's when she's not smiling or laughing is it seen, past the shining brown orbs and cheesy, mood-setting grins. One stroke, two strokes, three strokes, four. Different pressures, directions, and with different brushes. But all in black. All in a sophisticated and aching black.

Not everyone can tell you this.

The first one can be attributed to the fact that her parents are dead. They have been since she was young, since she was around... three. Died in a car crash, sadly. For the whole of her life, she lived in Japan with her Grandpa, who has a hell of a name - who would _seriously _name their kid _Wang? _Poor guy, he probably copped a lot in his life because of his name. But regardless, he's cool, and did a pretty good job of raising her. Second stroke would most probably have to be her own self esteem. 'Look at my teeth, they're not very white', 'look at my hair, its so thin and dead', 'look at my body, I'm too fat' - mind you the girl's actually stick thin. Teenage bullshit. What's wrong with you girls today? Guys just aren't that shallow.

The third stroke, the lightest of the four... mmm, probably can be attributed how she goes in _the rest _of her schooling. She doesn't necessarily care though, this is just a guess. Its the only reason that'll fit the description, I'm sure. Still, don't even think about mentioning Maths around her, otherwise she will unleash her 'super awesome pwning ray' on you, somehow. It's frustrating how she makes stuff up like that all the time. It's almost like she's constantly living in a fairy land. And as for the fourth and final stroke? _More_ teenage bullshit, and totally cliché. This is what bothers her the most, you can tell. Its on her mind twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Everything she thinks about and does in her day is because of _him._ A simple _crush. _

On the biggest retard this school has ever seen.

Unfortunately Jin Kazama has something _I want. _And I can't get it if I don't go through Pigtails.

Y'see, we both fight. Him and his lineage-martial arts, and me and my lethal Tae Kwon Do. We were having gym practice and being spontaneous me, I decided to see what all the fuss was about in regards to his 'supreme' fighting abilities. So we sparred, we _fought, _down to our last breaths, before we were forcibly broken up by the teacher. I got an after-school detention, he walked away with nothing. But look, the point is, he tainted my perfect fighting record. _A draw. _Don't get pissy at me and say that 'its just a draw', I really don't care. I won't be satisfied until he loses a match underneath my lightning fast feet. Until he's broken, bleeding and unconscious on the ground. Until he screams submissively and forfeits the match to me. Until he recognises my skill.

_And I will _have it that way, just you fucking watch. _I will get_ that rematch.

So, what's my almighty plan and how does it involve the girl? I originally had many but now they've all come down to one. First one was to pick on her in hopes of getting him angry. The second was to pick on _him _in hopes of getting him mad.

Now I'm down to this one. Maybe I didn't have 'many' to begin with, then - ...shut it.

See, Pigtails? She lives with Kazama at his Grand-Daddy's Mansion, on weekdays and school days. They're best friends. Or, it looks that way any who. Definitely just 'friends', minimum. She dotes on him, he appreciates it silently. She secretly stares after him, he turns not one, but two blind eyes. She whispers his name softly, and he pretends to be deaf. Its how its always been for those two. The whole school watches and knows, from the super popular Forrest Law through to the anti-social super nerd Julia Chang. From the slutty Christie Monteiro through to the school janitor, Lee Chaolan. Everyone knows. _Everyone in this damn school _knows.

Except him, being the mentally challenged person he is.

I was on one of my cigarette breaks outside when it happened. Pigtails tore down the corridors, bag snuggly settled on her back, _way _before any form of break or before the school closed. I had seen her come through the double glass doors, though she failed to notice my presence originally. It was when she was standing wholly outside, a few feet away from my 'leaning-against-the-small-wall' position, with smudgy mascara, did she realise that she wasn't alone. Her cheeks turned the colour of my hair within a matter of moments. Something very amusing to me.

"What are you doing outside?" she inquired shakily, trying to gather her composure.

"What's it look like?" I growled back, wagging my cigarette back and forth between my fingertips mockingly.

The Chinese girl stiffened and tried to stop her bottom lip from trembling. She nodded and began to turn away in hopes of saving herself from further embarrassment.

Tch. Not likely. Stupid klutz can't even move properly. She tripped over her own shoelaces when she tried to turn away from me. Hopeless, _hopeless._

Still, against my nature, for some reason, I reached out a hand and grabbed her forearm, stopping her from _completely_ tripping over. She was a little heavier than I thought, than she appeared, and put me off balance for a few moments. But me being awesome and all, I ended up stabilising myself quick and gracefully enough to still look cool. She ended up half-held up by me, and half-on the ground. Her school bag was sliding off her left shoulder, and her right arm was quivering under my strong grip. With said hand, I managed to pull her back up, letting go once she was no longer vertically challenged.

My grip was clearly too hard. I could see red marks around her forearm from where I had grabbed her. That'll bruise in a day or so.

"Thanks," Midget murmured, subconsciously and idly rubbing the sore spot.

I shrugged and puffed out a little more smoke before speaking, "What's with the water works? Did you fail another Maths test or did Kazama ignore your advances again?"

"I do not 'advance' on Jin!" she huffed, putting her petite hands on her waist.

"Oh, right. You stalk him. I forgot. Sorry for getting my terminology mixed up."

"I doubt you even know what 'terminology' means, _Red,_" she spat, using my own nickname against me.

I sneered tauntingly, "Says the one who failed her last Literature exam."

"What?! How did you know!?"

"I have reliable sources. Nasty business that twenty-three out of... ssseventy-five."

"_I _didn't get the _answers_ wrong, _they _got _the questions _wrong."

I couldn't think of anything to say for a good, long moment, because that was an impressive statement within our bantering. I should steal it and use it for when I screw up my science tests. Note to self, that is a new line for me to use. Check. Anyway, it amazed me when I found myself grinning and looking down on her. But I can't allow myself to be like this man, she's a key factor in my plans to get Kazama to fight me again. If I steal his 'girl', or 'best friend', _whatever;_ then maybe he'll get so pissed off he'll put up his dukes and demand to fight me to get her back. Classic Boy-v.s.-Boy-over-Girl... um... syndrome? _Anyway._ My pride, my pride, my pride. Gotta protect it. It was damaged in that fight and it hasn't set straight since. Must. Fix.

"What are you grinning at?!" the girl shrieked, getting frustrated by my ogling.

Right, time to initiate the plan. Starting in three, two, one, _now._

"Nothing," I murmured with fake sadness and a sigh, turning away, raising my trusty cigarette back to my lips.

As I expected, this caused her frustration levels to plummet. Rubbing the mascara away from her wet eyes, she took a step forward and looked at me, "Hwoarang? You okay?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure...?"

"Since when did you care?"

The frustration levels suddenly grew wings and soared high above the clouds once more, "What do you mean 'since when did I care'? What the... Okay, look, you're not my friend or whatever, fine. If anything, you're my worst male enemy, _for sure_... Maybe. But any time someone has a problem I always try to help! Even the new girl Leo, I helped her out a bit with going around the school. And right now it seems to me that _you, Red, _have a problem and are in dire need of my unbelievably caring, helpful and simple words."

"I'm sorry but your 'simple words' will infect me with your 'retard rays' that you probably contracted from Kazama."

At the mere mention of his name, her eyes glaze over again with whatever sadness had been brewing before hand. The fourth, black stroke. Though at the time I didn't actually know what she called it. Regardless, she breathed in a sniffle and narrowed her eyes once more, glaring up at me with nothing but annoyance, "You, Hwoarang Doo San, are the most infuriating person I have ever met in my life. You are such an asshole, honest to God. You're _never _nice to me, let alone anyone for that matter, but mainly me. But _why!?_ What have I ever done to you?!"

"Nothing," I replied monotonously, choosing not to snap at her for using my Master's surname.

"N-_Nothing?! _I _don't _believe you!"

Her shrieks pierced my ears. I thought I went deaf for a good couple of seconds but my sweet, sweet hearing came back when I heard her ragged breath as a result of the noise. I smiled wryly and shook my head, dropping the cigarette to the ground, thereafter crushing it under my scuffed black shoes. I grabbed my school bag, which was a few feet away from me, and carelessly and casually slung it over one of my shoulders. I started to ascend the stairs, quickly and firmly cultivating my lie further, pushing my the first phase of my plans forward, "Okay, then, don't believe me, Pigtails. Just remember that boys don't pick on girls because they don't like them. Frankly, its quite the opposite... So instead of a 'I hate you, bitch' coming from me, you get an 'I like you' instead."

I heard nothing as I pushed the door open and returned to class.

The next day proved to be quite interesting. Any time I had passed her, or just entered her general line of sight, she would stare after me like a lost little dog. I pretended to return the stares occassionally, before snapping my head away, faking embarrassment at the previous day's conversation. There were a few times where Kazama was in the same area as me. In the past, she always stared at him, but now? Her looks are cast towards me. From what I've seen, my plan's clearly starting to work. The kid's cheeks are red every time I'm nearby, or at least, from what I can see from the corner of my eyes. Allllriiiiight. Working like a charm indeed.

It wasn't until... oh... around five in the afternoon? I think that was the right time. It wasn't until then did things... prove even more interesting than the hours before hand. Stop quirking your eyebrow at me, I'm not in the right head space to be retelling you this story. But anyway, I had gone to get some parts for my motorcycle at the mall, and I ran into her on my way in. Midget was on her way out, with a handful of candy as always, when she noticed me entering.

And with a mouthful of sweets, she called out, "Hwoarang!"

I froze, pretending to suddenly be shocked as she bounded over towards me, her normal smile on her white face. I spoke rigidly, "Hey."

"Fancy seeing you here," she remarked, "What're you doing?"

"Came to get some parts for my motorbike. There's a new store here that sells them."

"Oh, cool! Do you mind if I come with you?"

"I dunno, I don't think Kazama would like to see you fraternising with the enemy. You looked like you were on your way out anyway, so get going."

"O-oh... Well... Can I talk to you about what you said yesterday, then?"

"No, you can't."

She ignored it, "I didn't know you liked me."

"_Like _you," I corrected stiffly, still faking nervousness, not meaning my words, "I _like _you."

"That's so cute," the girl murmured. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and wretch, "You know, though. I like you too."

Wait - _what?_ Sweet, I didn't have to work that hard after all, "Thanks."

"So... what now?" she pressed.

Ugh, is she serious? I swear, talking to her is like talking to a brick wall sometimes, "Um... Well... Wanna go out?"

The hyperactive 'yes' was clearly my answer. She took my hand and from the corner of my eye, I could see her smile up at me, "To the motorbike shop!"

And so from then on, the long plan was in full swing. Pigtails is my girlfriend. I am her boyfriend. I'd take Julia over her in a normal circumstance but I needed her for this plan to work.

My little decoy.

Our first... ugh... _date _lead us to the movies. Cliché, I know, I know. I almost fell asleep during it, but she was fully into it. It was a horror flick, something I was _hoping _she _wouldn't_ enjoy but... turns out she did. A lot. She was fully into the 'plot' and everything, past the piles of blood and organs. I've seen worse stuff, so this wasn't as entertaining for me. Dead give away considering the fact that I almost fell asleep, y'know. She had a good time, which was nice and everything, but I don't think I'd ever been so bored in my life. Still, I pretended to enjoy myself too, if only to keep her happy factor up and disguise my true, underlying intentions. And I am a spectacular actor, mind you, and a great liar... So she'll have a hard time figuring out exactly _why _we're together. Its certainly not for the reasons she thinks. I can't think of a lot of people who could love her face. Well maybe that other Korean in the school who likes to dye his hair blue... Considering the look on his face every time she passes by -

Enough of my rambling, really. Let's jump forward about... three months, okay? We've been 'going out' for three months, and my plan is working like a charm. Any time we're together, I see a couple of death glares sent my way curtesy of King Retard. Ah, but Xiaoyu? She's just falling harder and harder, falling deeper and deeper into the mysterious maze that is Hwoarang. The little fly, stuck in my web. My plan's working like a freakin' charm and I couldn't be happier with its progress. Y'know though? She's not as bad everyone says she is, as she makes herself out to be (unintentionally) with all the Kazama-obsessed remarks back then.

Baek had met her a few times. He said that she was a sweet kid, really polite and caring. A good girl. The... sixth time (from at least ten now I think it was) she left the dojang, I was grinning my god-damn head off, and he noticed. He noticed, and silently smirked, slipping into our native tongue to avoid being heard by the kid, if she was just randomly standing outside or walking very, very slowly away from the front door, "When you first introduced me to her you had this horrible scowl on your face when she wasn't looking. It was almost as though you were... using her, for whatever purpose... but now look at you. You're happy, you're genuinely happy. I'm glad she came into your life."

I was thinking that for the next... week or two, at least. I changed, for sure. I started out only being with Xiao for my own gain, otherwise there was no purpose. I hated being with her, I hate seeing her, I hated hearing her scratchy, whiny voice over the phone while I'm trying to watch a couple of martial arts movies... I hated everything about her. I put up with her and did everything I did, like her Math homework and whatever; only so I could get to Kazama, only so I could get my rematch (and around this time it looked pretty close by. Last time me and Xiao walked by him together, it looked like a few of his veins were gonna pop out of his body). I was using her like the little decoy she was supposed to be.

..._Supposed... _to be...

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, it wasn't supposed to _be_ this way. She wasn't supposed to be around for more than a month, she wasn't supposed to enjoy my company so much... _I _wasn't... supposed to start enjoying it either. She wasn't supposed to be so fun, endearing, cute and just... Oh God I don't _know_! I can't explain it... I can't... explain it. Now? I really like being around her, I like the stupid little things she does, that damn pouty and thoughtful face, the insane terms she makes up on the spot for no reason, the way she tugs at her hair when nervous or angry at herself, her mind, her attitude to life... She's just what... all guys want. Adorable. She's freakin' adorable.

I like - _liked... _her.

There, I said it. Compared to how I treated her, thought about her an acted around her before, I liked her. She was my friend. More than that. If she randomly popped up in one of my dreams and said 'hi' _before_ I was with her, I'd throw my shoe at her, and waking up and going 'the hell?'. But since then I'd just... refused to pulled from those dreams. And when I'd wake up I'd... I'd... I can't describe it. Polar opposite of how I used to react. The exact, polar opposite of how I used to react. Treated her like a princess, almost. And I loved every moment of it myself.

I don't know if she started to notice the change. Over the next two months, I started to call her up at night, wondering what she was up to. She used to be the one to do that. I started to hold her hand in the corridors freely, not try and pull away when she did the same. I started going over to her place just to hang out, even if it means I had to put up with her pet Panda, who had this insane habit of tackling me to the ground (not funny), or putting up with some old jokes from Wang (she was at his house on weekends and in the school holidays). She was the one who used to come over and put up with my dog, who liked having a tug at her dress (_that _was funny). I'd voluntarily take her out instead of being forced to. It was almost like we had completely changed over. I'm the one going after her, she's the one just standing motionless.

I remember one of the times I called her up. My cellphone was happily poised in my hand as I spoke into the reciever, "Hey Xiao."

"Oh... hi Hwoarang."

My eyebrows furrowed questioningly, "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, no. How are you?"

"Worried now," I remarked, rolling over on my bed to look at the time. It was nine thirty at night.

"I'm fine. Just talk. How was your day?"

Tch, change the topic... "Long and uneventful. And yours?"

"Fine. Just fine."

When a woman says 'fine', that means something's seriously wrong... Right? "Xiao, talk to me. What's bugging you?"

"Nothing."

When a woman says 'nothing', that _definitely_ means that something's definitely wrong, "Don't 'nothing' me. Seriously, what's up?"

"_Nothing,_" she repeated in a hiss, almost like a snake. She was angry.

That took me by surprise. I didn't like it when she was like this, "Are you on your period or something? You've never sounded this mad bef - "

...She hung up on me.

What the _hell_?

I remember dialing over and over and over and over, trying to get her back on the phone to apologise for whatever I did, but I never got through. I sent her text messages with 'I'm sorry's', and at the time I doubt she read them. I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I had never felt so bad in my life... It was just an honest question, it wasn't an attack at her or anything. It was just a question...

My phone remained on for the whole night as I tried to sleep. It was in my hand, just in case she replied in some way. Just in case. I wanted to talk to her straight after if she did. She couldn't stay mad forever, right? I don't know anyone like that... But then again I don't know anyone like her. Maybe she _can _stay mad at me forever... What the hell was I going to do if that happened? Make some sort of present and give it to her as an apology? Nah that'd be too desperate... _Way _too desperate. That's like... Hmmmmmmmm, what's a good comparison...

At one in the morning did my cellphone vibrate. Still in a sleepy daze, I looked at it and saw it was indeed her, _calling, _not texting back. I picked up immediately, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it is. I pissed you off."

"No no, I mean..." a light sniffle, "I just wasn't in the mood to talk."

"Are you crying?"

"N-no."

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing she was lying, still feeling as though I was the source of the problem. What's wrong with me?

"It's not your fault..."

I maintained silence, biting my lip. Rolling over onto my back, I scratched my stomach, "Do you want to talk about it?"

There was hesitance before her sweet voice flowed through, "Today... It's a bad day today, for me. I... I..."

"Take your time."

"Thirteen years ago... on this day... My..."

Big breath in. Her voice collapsed.

"My parents... died... in a c-car crash. Today... well, 'y-yesterday' now if you want to get technical... it was the... a-anniversary of their death."

My heart twisted fiercely, "I'm sorry."

We spoke until... four in the morning on that day, and we both had school coming up. She told me about what happened, and it was on that night did I learn about the four 'black strokes'. That's how she described everything to me, and I listened patiently and quietly. In this, we are the same. The core of our souls, we're the same. I lost my parents too in a freak boating accident. I loved boats before then, but now I loathe them. I was seven at the time, and my parents were the only fatalities. It was then that Baek adopted me when he learnt that the rest of my family was already dead. I had known him since I was five. I told her about it, and she asked how I dealt with it.

"These things just happened Xiao," I had told her, twisting my finger around my blanket, watching the process, "You just... move on. Accept it and keep going. Sure, remember it and hurt but... don't let it take over you."

The following day, we had stuck very close together. Bringing up that memory made me sad, but I wanted to make sure that she'd be okay. Xiao wasn't her usual, bubbly self, but it seemed that in my company she was slowly getting out of it. I guess these things just take time. But we found comfort in each other quite quickly. After school I took her to the mall, just to walk around and get her mind off of her parents. I didn't care if that meant money would evacuate my wallet, I still did it, and it got the end result I hoped for, the one I had been aiming for the entire day.

Sweet smiles, light laughs and honest happiness.

I couldn't help but smile too.

Strange how the one you care about will always make you smile.

Strange how my decoy became... Became... what I never thought she'd become.

What did I feel? I didn't like her anymore, it was too strong for that now.

Maybe love?

The two months that followed were just... unbelievable. I can honestly say I had never been happier in my life. I did all my chores and homework at blinding speed just so I could spend time with her. I ditched all my friends, much to their annoyance, just to spend time with her. I didn't even bother looking at Kazama anymore, let alone teasing him. That rematch? _Screw that _shit, it wasn't worth it. He and Xiao still spoke and all, and I (surprisingly) didn't mind. I guess it was because I trusted her a lot. I mean... hardly anyone knows about my parents. I figured she trusted me too, because with the way she spoke about her own parents, well...

Then... _it... _happened...

I had gone out with a couple of mates. Y'know, just around town, nothing serious or mischievous. Deciding that I had enough of just hanging out though, I left, walking back home to the dojang. I called Xiao, in hopes of killing some time on the way and just to see how that Science project was doing and all. To my surprise, she didn't answer, and there was no way I was going to ring the Mishima Mansion. I called a few more times and then eventually left a message on her voicemail, still grinning my head off, and hesitant to speak near the end of the message:

'Hey Xiao! Its Hwoarang. How's your Science project going? Need any help? Actually I'd better not offer, I'll probably screw it up... Anyway just wondering what you were up to tonight? Wanna come over and have some dinner or something? Your choice, I'll make it. Y'know my awesome cooking skills, haha. Call me back when you can, okay? ...I love you.'

It was love, it was love. I couldn't believe it.

I kept walking back home, still in a happy mess. Knocking on the door, Baek opened it and let me inside. He spoke to me in Korean, "Xiaoyu came by earlier."

"She did?!" I remarked, eyes wide. My smile was about to fall off my face, but I didn't care, "Why didn't you call me?!"

"She had to go straight away," he stated, walking towards the nearby table. He picked up a note. My name was on the front in English, "But she asked me to give you this."

He placed it in my hand gently before walking away, returning to his study to do some more taxes, I'm guessing. Confused, I looked down at it, her name in crafty black ink. Why couldn't she just call me or something? She knows that my phone is on me all the time. Unless... it was so important that she couldn't say it to my face? Or she's going away on a trip and didn't have time to tell me? Baek didn't mention anything about her being all packed up to go somewhere...

Swallowing the apprehensive lump in my throat, I unfolded the paper.

I really wish I didn't.

_Hwoarang, hi. Its Xiaoyu._

_I don't really know how to say this but... Well... its a long story. You should probably sit down. It might make your head spin, and you might catch my 'retard rays' that I 'contracted' from Jin._

Wait - what? That was ages ago! What...

_I'll admit I had some fun with you, and I'll admit that you're not as bad as I originally thought you were. But all that aside... Us? Well... It was never 'us' to begin with, hm?_

...How did she... find out...? That was ages ago, I don't care about that anymore...

_We're finished._

Don't say that -

_Done. Over. Enough. That's it._

_Don't _say that Xiao -

_I've chewed you up for everything you were worth._

I didn't know what I was doing - ...what?

_The truth is Hwoarang... I never liked you. Ever. Not even for a moment. I never had feelings for you. Not even as a friend._

What... What's this feeling...?

_Your heart's been wasted on me._

It hurts -

_You and I are through. I don't need you anymore. I have what I want._

I don't understand...

_You were a decoy, to me. My decoy, doing everything I wanted with the snap of a finger._

Decoy...?

_I used you to get Jin._

Decoy...

_I have him now._

You've... But...

_He's mine. We're together. Right now._

I've never been so used...

_I have everything I've ever wanted holding me._

You were using me...

_So... thanks. _

Abusing me...

_Good bye, my little decoy._

Your... little... decoy...


End file.
